Live strong and healthy by partaking the Holy Communion

Matthew 26:26-28 (NKJV): And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat, this is My body." Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

As a believer, there are 2 things you should never miss, because these are meant to be great blessings for you - First, water baptism (which is 'one-off'), and the other, holy communion (which is practised continuously throughout your life as a believer). 

So, if water baptism is a public testimony for your salvation, then holy communion is about what comes after you know that you are saved. It is to remind yourself of your forgiveness/justification ('cup' representing the blood of Jesus) and healing/health ('bread' representing the body of Jesus) that comes from Him, as you look to Him and what He has already done for you on the cross. Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19).

Today, let's also clear any misconception about holy communion once for all. Contrary to what some people think, holy communion is never a ritual to be observed, but a blessing to be received, i.e. the blessing of health and wholeness for the believers. In fact, it is God's way of releasing His life, health, strength, and vitality to the believers in the New Covenant!

By the way, the practice of holy communion (i.e. breaking of bread) has always been an integral part of every believer's gathering in the early church those days (see Acts 2:42).

"But pastor, I don't see what this little piece of bread and this little cup of juice can do for me!"

Never underestimate what you partake during holy communion. There’s power in the act of eating. You see, it was a little piece (of fruit) Adam ate that plunged all of us into the 'vicious circle' of sin, brokenness and condemnation. So, to reverse this 'dying you shall die' effect or curse due to sin, God has also 'ordained' the little piece (of bread) and the little cup (of juice) for us to eat and drink in order to restore us back to our wholeness and wellness!

Let's now go back to the Old Testament for its parallel. The Bible says when God's people left Egypt on the night of Passover, none was feeble (i.e. weak and sickly) among them (see Psalm 105:37). That's quite amazing, considering there were about 2.5 million people leaving Egypt then! And yet none was weak and sickly!

What was their secret to health, strength and vitality then? I believe the answer lies in what they partook on the night of Passover. And as they partook, God released such supernatural health and strength into each one of them, that none was feeble during the journey! Exodus 12:8 says, 'Then they shall eat the flesh (of the lamb) on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it'. Exodus 12:13 then says, 'Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt'. 

You see? A 'picture' of the body and blood of Jesus! The above is in fact a 'shadow' of the Lord’s Supper (i.e. holy communion) instituted by Jesus before His crucifixion (see Matthew 26:26-28, Luke 22:19-20). Furthermore, the Lord's Supper was first celebrated on the same date as Passover then (see Luke 22:15). If what you see in the Old Testament is the 'shadow', then what you see in the New Testament is the 'substance'. Jesus is therefore the true (roasted) Lamb of God, and the unleavened bread ('matzah', i.e. the flat bread which is unleavened, baked, pierced with holes, and striped) eaten during Passover also speaks of Jesus Himself. If 'leaven' speaks of 'sin', then the unleavened bread speaks of 'Jesus, who is sinless'.

There is therefore a '2-fold' application as you partake of the holy communion, i.e. the bread (representing the body of Jesus that was broken for us) is for your health and healing, and the cup (representing the blood of Jesus that was shed for us) is for the forgiveness of sins. 

When you partake of the bread, know that you are receiving His health, healing and wholeness. His body was broken so that yours can be made whole! Jesus was never sick on earth. So, as you partake the bread, you are also believing that 'as He is, so are you in this world' (1 John 4:17). As a matter of fact, throughout His ministry on earth, He healed all who came to Him, wherever He went (see Luke 6:19, Acts 10:38). His very nature is indeed to heal and to make you whole! This is your right as a believer! And He has already paid it in full for you at the cross!

When you partake of the cup, know that you are already forgiven and have been made righteous (i.e. in right standing with God) through the blood of Jesus. His blood was shed for you at the cross so that you have the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7).

So, as you partake of the holy communion, know that at the cross, Jesus didn't just carry all your sins, but He has also carried all your sicknesses, pains and bodily infirmities (see Isaiah 53:4).

"But why is it that some believers are afraid to partake the holy communion?'

Because they have probably misinterpreted 1 Corinthians 11:29-30 (NKJV) that says, 'For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgement to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep (i.e. dead). 

Notice the phrase 'for this reason' here. It is singular, and not plural (i.e. 'for these reasons'). It means there's only one reason many are weak, sick, or die prematurely, and that reason is 'not discerning the Lord’s body' (meaning 'they did not know why they are partaking of the holy communion').

On the other hand, the good news is when you believe and when you rightly discern the Lord’s body, i.e. knowing that His body was broken for your healing and His blood was shed for your forgiveness when you partake of the holy communion, you’ll in fact be reversing the 'judgement' to your body (i.e. the process of ageing, and 'dying you shall die') that began since Adam’s fall! In other words, the more you partake of the holy communion, the more you are going to hear people say, "Hey, you look younger and healthier every time I see you again!" Praise God!

“But pastor, I must confess all my sins before partaking the holy communion, right? What if I miss out on one sin? Does that mean judgement will follow me?" 

Well, that’s how the devil makes God's people afraid to partake of the holy communion, when the truth is it is meant to be a divine blessing to be received! 

This misconception probably stems from misinterpreting 1 Corinthians 11:27-28 (NKJV) that says, 'Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup'. 

What does it mean by ‘eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner’ here? Paul was not saying we should not partake because we are unworthy. If that's the case, no one should partake at all! Because all failed! We are only made worthy by His blood! So, Paul was actually referring to ‘those who do not know why they are partaking of the holy communion’. These are the people who may say, “Oh, it’s just a ritual or formality in the church!”, or “Oh, it’s just a piece of bread to fill your stomach, so that you’ll not be hungry during service!” 

‘Let a man examine himself' here then is 'to see if he is partaking the holy communion in a worthy manner', as explained in the previous paragraph. So, in the context of this verse here, Paul was not talking about ‘let a man examine all his sins and therefore confess them all’.

Note: Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I condone sin here. Sin is sin, and sin is detrimental to one's life. Here, I'm just describing what Paul meant when he wrote 'let a man examine himself'.

Finally, let's now go to 1 Corinthians 11:26. It says, 'For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes'. 

"Pastor, why and to whom I proclaim the Lord's death when I partake of the holy communion?"

Colossians 2:14-15 has the answer. It says, '...having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He (Jesus) has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it'. 

So, every time you remember His death by partaking of the holy communion, you are also in effect proclaiming to the principalities and powers that they have been disarmed and that Jesus has triumphed over them! In fact it is for this very reason that the devil is so very afraid of you partaking of the holy communion! Because by doing so, you are effectively proclaiming to the demonic spirits that Jesus has triumphed over them, and therefore every demonic spirit that works against you has no choice but to flee! Hallelujah!